the Front Gate of Wuhou Shrine
Name in Chinese: 武侯祠 Wǔ Hòu Cí [wu:’həuts]
Duration of Tour: One and a Half Hours
Location: No.231 Wuhouci Grand Avenue, Wuhou District, Chengdu, Sichuan Province
Highlights: Exploration of China’s History, Culture and Traditional Architectural Practice
Must-see Sightseeing Spots: the Front Gate, the Second Gate, Liu Bei’s Memorial Hall, Zhuge Liang’s Memorial Hall, the Tomb of Emperor Hui
Reputations: A National Key Historical and Cultural Relic Site under Protection, A National Four-star Scenic Area, One of China’s Top-class Museums
Wuhou Shrine is topped as the No.1 historical and cultural attraction in Chengdu. It is located inside the first ring road of Chengdu. The shrine was built in memory of Liu Bei and Zhuge Liang. Liu Bei was the founding emperor of the Shu Han Kingdom, and Zhuge Liang was a well-known strategist and statesman during the Three Kingdoms Period(220-280). Zhuge Liang served as the prime minister of the Shu Han Kingdom.
China boasts a long history of over 4,000 years and a recorded history of 3,600 years. The whole history could be divided into three stages. The first stage was the primitive society. It existed before 21st century B.C.. The second stage was the slave society. It lasted from 21st century B.C. to 221 B.C.. The first dynasty was called Xia. The third stage was the imperial feudal society. In 221 B.C., the Qin Empire unified the whole China. It was the first centralized monarchy in China’s history. The third stage lasted from 221.B.C. to 1912. In 1912, the Qing Dynasty was thrown over.
The second empire was the Han Empire. It had two stages, including the Western Han Dynasty(202B.C.-8) and the Eastern Han Dynasty(25-220). By the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, a great peasant rebellion broke out. The uprising was named as the Yellow Ribbon Rebellion. Then some local governors joined the civil war. They became autonomous regional warlords. They suppressed the rebellion. During the civil war, they took this opportunity to build up their own political and military power. Finally, the Han Empire was carved into three independent kingdoms, namely the Wei Kingdom, the Wu Kingdom and the Shu Han Kingdom.
In the northern China, with its capital at Luoyang, the Kingdom of Wei was established by Cao Cao and his son. In the eastern China, with its capital at Nanjing, the Kingdom of Wu was founded by Sun Quan. The Wu Kingdom occupied the lower reach of Yangtze River. The Shu Han Kingdom controlled the southwestern China highland. Its founding emperor was Liu Bei and its capital was in Chengdu.
A popular novel composed by Luo Guanzhong(1330-1400) basically traces the rise and fall of the three kingdoms and vividly depicts the turbulence during the Three Kingdoms Period. Its name is the Romance of the Three Kingdoms.
Wuhou Shrine is much associated with the Kingdom of Shu. It is a memorial to Zhuge Liang, the prime minister of the Shu Kingdom. Wuxianghou was a top official title conferred upon Zhuge Liang, when he served the kingdom. After he passed away, Zhuge Liang was granted with another title, Zhongwuhou. People respectfully called him Wuhou.
Historians believe that the shrine was built by the end of the Western Jin Dynasty(266-316). Unfortunately, there is lack of record to confirm the construction date in the historical documents. People are able to conclude from a poem composed by Du Fu that Wuhou Shrine has existed since the Tang Dynasty(618-907). Du Fu was a celebrated poet in the Tang Dynasty. He composed a poem titled the Prime Minister of the Shu Kingdom. Two verses of the poem go: “Where would I find the Prime Minster’s shrine? It is just located outside of the Brocade City, in the dense cypress trees.”
Before the Ming Dynasty(1368-1644), both the prime minster Zhuge Liang and the emperor Liu Bei were worshiped in separate shrines. They each had their own memorial temples. At the beginning of Ming Dynasty, their separate temples were merged into one. Towards the end of Ming Dynasty, the merged temple was destroyed during the chaos. The present constructions can be dated back to 1672, the Qing Dynasty(1644-1911).
The shrine consists of five main buildings, namely the Front Gate, the Second Gate, Liu Bei’s Memorial Hall, Zhuge Liang’s Memorial Hall and Liu Bei’s Tomb. It contains 47 clay figures, 40 stone tablets, 30 inscribed boards and couplets, as well as over ten valuable ancient drums, stoves, bells and cooking vessels. In fact, the shrine functions as a memorial hall in honor of Liu Bei and his subordinates. The main buildings are built on a south-north axis, the front doors of the main buildings face south. It is a traditional Chinese architectural practice making houses face south. The practice is related to the sunshine and the direction of prevailing wind, especially cold winds.
The Front Gate
There is a horizontal inscribed board on the top of the main entrance gate. It says “Han Zhaolie Temple”. Han refers to the Kingdom of Shu Han, and Zhaolie was the posthumous title of Emperor Liu Bei. The board indicates that the whole temple was built in honor of Emperor Liu Bei. Why do people called it Zhuge Liang Temple or Wuhou Shrine? Before the Ming Dynasty, Emperor Liu Bei and the prime minister Zhuge Liang were worshiped in separate shrines. People loved Zhuge Liang much more than Liu Bei. Therefore, people went to the prime minster’s temple more frequently than the emperor’s temple. At the beginning of Ming Dynasty, Zhu Chun, one of the royal family members came to Chengdu, and resided in Chengdu. One day, Prince Zhu Chun saw that there were many more people visiting the prime minister’s temple than the emperor’s. He felt unhappy, because Liu Bei was the emperor. The prince thought that people should have gone to visit and worship the emperor more frequently than the prime minister. Then he demolished the original Zhuge Liang’s temple, and moved Zhuge Liang’s statue into Liu Bei’s temple. However, local people did not like this arrangement. Instead of building a special temple for Zhuge Liang, they kept calling the combined temple as Wuhou Shrine instead of Liu Bei’s Temple. Gradually, more and more people accepted the new name. It also testifies people’s love for Zhuge Liang. In people’s view, Zhuge Liang has been immortalized in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms. His contribution is historically invaluable, and his management of state-affairs and military strategies have influenced the following centuries.
There are six huge stone tablets in the yard between the Front Gate and the Second Gate. The tablets flank the south-north axis. Among the tablets, four were carved in the Qing Dynasty. The other two were engraved either in the Ming Dynasty or the Tang Dynasty. The Qing tablets illustrate the stories about the reconstruction of the shrine.
The Ming Tablet
The Ming Tablet states the development of the shrine. The tablet is set on the back of a turtle-like figure. It is called Bixi in Chinese. Bixi is a legendary figure and looks like a turtle. According to the Chinese mythology, the king of dragon has nine sons. The sons each have their own skills and features. Bixi is one of the sons. Because of its great strength and endurance, Bixi always carries a tablet on his back. In fact, it was forced to carry the tablet by another legendary figure, King Dayu, the founder of Xia Dynasty. It is said that a terrible flood took place in central China around 4,000 years ago. Dayu led his people to join the work of water control. At the same time, Bixi made troubles to Dayu and his people. One day, Dayu and Bixi met and had a fierce battle. Bixi was defeated and surrendered to Dayu. Then the dragon’s son helped Dayu to accomplish the water control work. Afterwards, Dayu became the king, and established the first dynasty, the Xia Dynasty. But he worried that Bixi would make troubles to his people again, if he released it. Dayu decided to set a trap for Bixi. He intentionally queried Bixi if it was the strongest in the world and if it was able to carry anything. In order to convince Dayu and shut him up, Bixi agreed to try to carry anything heavy Dayu could offer. Then, Dayu pointed at a huge stone tablet on which all of the contributions he made were inscribed, and asked Bixi to try to carry the tablet. It must be the most heavy object in the world. Dayu moved the tablet onto Bixi’s back. Since then, the turtle-like figure has been trapped under the stone tablet.
The Tang Tablet
The Tang Tablet is also called the Tablet of Three Perfections. It is better-known than the other tablets. Three of the well-know scholars and artists were involved in making the tablet. In 809, Wu Yuanheng, a local top governor and his subordinates went to the temple to worship Zhuge Liang. After the visit, the tablet was created to mark the special worship occasion. The essay inscribed on the tablet was composed by a celebrated scholar, Pei Du. He used to serve for three emperors of the Tang Empire in different times, working as prime minister. In the essay, Pei Du eulogizes Zhuge Liang for his great contribution to the restoration of the Han Empire. He also highly comments on Zhuge Liang’s state-affairs management and military strategies, and encourages the Tang officials to learn from Zhuge Liang. The second celebrity was Liu Gongchuo, a well-known calligrapher. Liu Gongchuo copied the essay in his beautiful handwriting. There are several types of scripts in Chinese calligraphy. The most popular ones are Kaishu (regular scripts), Xingshu(running scripts or cursive handwriting) and Caoshu(grass scripts or super cursive handwriting). The characters on the tablet are in the regular style of handwriting. The third person involved was an artist. His name was Lu Jiang, a famous mason. He engraved the essay on the tablet in Liu Gongchuo’s handwriting. The three celebrities joined hands to perfect the tablet.
The Second Gate
There is a horizontal inscribed board on the top of the Second Gate. It reads “ Ming Liang Qian Gu” in Chinese, which indicates that the emperor Liu Bei had a pair of good eyes and the prime minister Zhuge Liang was a faithful and loyal man, they both have been immortalized in the historical records. The board was inscribed in 1696 in the Qing Dynasty. The four characters are in the handwriting of Wu Ying, a famous general of the Qing army. The first character Ming means brightness, wisdom, good eye as well as the former dynasty, Ming Dynasty. The second character means loyal or good. The last two mean lasting or living forever. The point is that the first character is wrongly written. In the dictionary, the character 明(Ming), has two parts. The left one means the sun, and the right the moon. The left part of the wrongly written character on the board is 目(mu), meaning the eye. As a result of feudal autocratic domination, the literary inquisition reached its heyday during the Qing Dynasty. People were forbidden to praise the former dynasty, Ming Dynasty. If they did, they would be put into jail. When the general, Wu Ying wrote the inscription, he realized the inscription had another meaning that the Ming Dynasty was a good and beloved country, it should exist forever. The inscription would cause him a variety of troubles. Then he added an extra stroke to the left part of the the character “Ming” to avoid any mis-judgement by others.
Liu Bei Hall
The statue of the emperor Liu Bei stands behind the front altar. Liu Bei(161-223), the founding emperor of the Shu Han Kingdom, started his life as a shoemaker and a weaver of mats. He made his name in the civil war against the Yellow Turban rebels. Liu Bei, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei swore their brotherhood at the Peach Garden, and established their military force to fight against the rebels and defend the Han Empire. He claimed that he was one of the descendants of the Han emperors. Liu Bei was a kind and sincere man. He won the hearts of his followers through his virtuous behaviors. Before he reached the age of fifty, he was constantly in the service of other warlords, namely, Gongsun Zan, Yuan Shao, and Liu Biao. He obtained the help of Zhuge Liang as his adviser in 208. Since then, by the help of Zhuge Liang, he turn the situation around. The allied force of Liu Bei and Sun Quan defeated Cao Cao at the Battle of the Red Wall. After the battle, Liu Bei launched a military expedition to Sichuan, and occupied it. In 221, Liu Bei established the Kingdom of Shu Han with the capital at Chengdu. Then he started a series of military expedition against the Wu State in revenge for the death of Guan Yu and Zhang Fei. Frustration and repeated defeat broke him down completely. The emperor knew that he was going to die soon. Immediately, he summoned his prime minister Zhuge Liang to Baidi Town from Chengdu, and entrusted his son and his country to the prime minister. He said to the prime minister, “if my son is good at ruling the country, you are to help him succeed to the throne. If he does not have the necessary quality to be an emperor, you mustn’t make him the emperor of the Shu Han Kingdom. You can claim the crown and be an emperor”. The prime minister was moved to tears upon hearing what the emperor told. He replied, “How does your humble subject dare not to assist your son with every efforts and not to be utterly loyal to him until the day your humble subject dies!” Liu Bei passed away on June 24, 203.
On the wall of Liu Bei Hall hang engraved wooden boards. The inscriptions are two essays composed by Zhuge Liang, namely, the Plan Made at Longzhong, and the Letter to the Throne before a Military Expedition.
The Plan Made at Longzhong
Since the Yellow Turban Rebellion broke out, Liu Bei had led his troops with his sworn brothers for almost twenty years. They fought wherever they had to go. But his army was always weaker than the other warlords’. That is the reason why he had to be in the service of other warlords. He could never build a stable base area for his troops to station until the Red Wall Battle. In 207, Liu Bei garrisoned his troops at Xinye, the present site of Nanyang City, Henan Province. He realized that he would not be able to reunify the whole China until he found a truly learned adviser. Xu Shu was one of Zhuge Liang’s closest friends, and he recommended Zhuge Liang to Liu Bei.
Xu Shu said to Liu Bei, “Zhuge Liang is a well-learned man, nicknamed as Crouching Dragon, but the dragon is ready to fly. Would you like to meet him?
“Bring him with you to see me!” replied Liu Bei.
“This man has noble aspiration,” Xu Shu responded, “You can not summon him without your sincere invitation. He would only come to help you, if you pay a personal visit to him. He can’t be forced to come. You’d better to go to his house to ask him.”
Thereupon Liu Bei rode to Longzhong with his sworn brothers, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei. They went visiting Zhuge Liang’s house twice. Unfortunately, both the first two times when they arrived, Zhuge Liang had gone traveling. It was only on the third time that they received the warm hospitality from Zhuge Liang. It is a famous episode in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, which is called the Three Visits to Zhuge Liang’s Thatched Cottage.
On the third visit when Liu Bei finally met Zhuge Liang, they discussed great matters concerning the whole China. Zhuge Liang knew many strategies. He analyzed the contemporary situation for Liu Bei, and suggested plans for the future. Liu Bei listened to him and asked questions. He felt so happy that he had finally got helps from such a knowledgeable man. The Plan Made at Longzhong was actually a dialogue between Liu Bei and Zhuge Liang, when they had their discussion. Since then, Liu Bei relied on Zhuge Liang for advice in all matters. In order to repay the favour Liu Bei had shown him, Zhuge Liang gave his utmost to help Liu Bei establish the Kingdom of Shu Han. He kept loyally supporting the slow-witted successor, Liu Shan, after Liu Bei passed away.
The Letter to the Throne before a Military Expedition
The essay the Letter to the Throne before a Military Expedition was a petition composed by Zhuge Liang to the young emperor Liu Shan in 227. In order to launch his northwards military expedition, he wrote the petition to ask the emperor for permission. In his letter, he stated his wishes to the emperor, “Reward and punishment should be meted out equitably. There should be no place for favoritism or inequality under the law.” Zhuge Liang also recommended some talented officials and generals to the successor in his letter. He showed his loyalty to the late emperor and his determination to realize the dream which was shared by the late emperor and himself. Their ambition was to restore the Han Empire. He wrote in his letter, “ The late emperor always appreciated my caution and in his final days entrusted me with his cause. Since that moment, I have tormented day and night by the fear that I might let him down.”
Liu Chen’s Statue
The statue of Liu Chen, the grandson of Liu Bei, stands on the east side of Liu Bei’s statue. When his father, the second emperor of the Shu Han Kingdom, Liu Shan decided to surrender to the Wei’s army, he killed all of his family members and committed a suicide.
Liu Shan
Liu Shan was the son of Liu Bei. His statue and his son’s flanked Liu Bei’s. After Liu Bei passed away, Zhuge Liang wholeheartedly supported the successor until his last breath. Unfortunately, Liu Shan was one of the weakest and stupid emperors in Chinese history and finally surrendered to the Kingdom of Wei in 263. He was taken from Chengdu to Luoyang, the capital of the Wei Kingdom. During his stay in Luoyang, he was offered with a comfortable life by the Jin Emperor, Sima Zhao. In 266, Sima Zhao staged a coup and seized the power from the former Wei emperor. One day, Sima Zhao asked Liu Shan if he was still pining his motherland, the Shu Han Kingdom. Liu Shan replied that he felt satisfied with his stay at Luoyang, and he had forgot the disgrace of losing his own country. Local people felt disappointed and frustrated that Liu Shan surrendered to their enemy. People moved his statue out of the temple in the Song Dynasty, because they thought he should feel ashamed to be worshiped together with his father and his son.
Guan Yu’s Statue
To the right of the main hall is a red-faced figure called Guan Yu, one of Liu Bei’s sworn brothers. Five years before the Yellow Turban Rebellion broke out, Guan Yu killed a wealthy bully and became a fugitive. One day, he met Liu Bei and Zhang Fei. They swore their brotherhood at the Peach Garden. His unswerving loyalty and support were crucial to Liu Bei’s efforts. He was killed with his son Guan Ping when they were captured by the Wu’s army at Maicheng in 220.
A story about Gun Yu tells that Guan Yu is playing Weiqi chess while undergoing an arm surgery. It is an episode taken from the Romance of the Three Kingdoms. The episode began with Guan Yu and his soldiers’ attack on Fancheng. During the battle, Guan Yu was wounded by the enemy with a poisonous arrow. His right arm was poisoned to swelling. He was unable to move. Hua Tuo came by a boat, a famous physician. Hua examined Guan Yu, and concluded that Guan Yu needed an operation immediately. Guan Yu did not want to have the operation under anaesthesia, since he worried that the enemy might come to attack. The doctor suggested that Guan Yu should tie his arm to a pillar and have his eyes covered. He was afraid that Guan Yu could not stand the pain and would move during his operation.
When Guan Yu heard Hua’s suggestion, he laughed and said, “This is such a simple procedure. There is no need to worry.” Guan Yu asked for some liquor, took off his shirt, and stuck his arm out for Hua. Then he started to play Weiqi chess with Ma Liang, one of his assistants. The doctor took out a surgical knife and proceeded to cut open Guan Yu’s arm, removing the infected area by the poison. The poison reached the bone and it turned blue. The doctor had to scrape the bone with knife to get the poison out. Everyone could not bear to see the blood and hear the scraping sound, except Guan Yu. He was talking, drinking and playing chess. After Hua had finished his operation, Guan Yu said to Hua, “My arm has been recovered as good as a new one, and I did not feel any pain at all. You are really the best of all doctors!” The doctor replied, “In my life, I have never seen anyone as brave as you so far. You are the best of all heroes!” It seemed that Guan Yu diverted his attention to playing chess during his surgery, but his bravery was still unmatched throughout history.
Zhang Fei’s Statue
To the left of the main hall is the figure of General Zhang Fei. Zhang Fei was the sworn brother of Liu Bei and Guan Yu, the youngest one of the three. It is said that he had bristling moustache, and he could roar in a loud bass voice. His angry roar brought into the hearts of enemies. His most spectacular battle against Cao Cao’s army took place on the Changbanpo Bridge, where his roared so fiercely that one of Cao Cao’s generals fell from the horse and died suddenly. Zhang Fei was hot-tempered. He usually got drunk and flogged his officers. At the age of 54, he was murdered by two of his bad-tempered subordinates when he was sleeping.
The Galleries of Generals and Officials
There are two galleries of figures flanking the yard. The galleries contain 28 figures in total. Fourteen officials sit in the left corridor, and generals in the right. Pang Tong heads the the officials’ corridor and Zhao Yun heads the generals’. Among the generals, Zhao Yun was the most famous warrior in the Three Kingdoms Period. Zhao Yun used to be under the wing of Gongsun Zan, a warlord during the Yellow Turban Civil War. He found out that Gongsun was a selfish man who cared little about people suffering from the chaos. Then he left, and joined Liu Bei’s team. Zhao Yun was well-known for his loyalty and courage. During the Battle at Changbanpo, Zhao Yun went to rescue Liu Bei’s wife and the newly born baby, Liu Shan. They were encircled by Cao Cao’s forces. Liu Bei’s wife was injured and could not move. At the critical moment, she gave her baby to Zhao Yun and asked him to leave immediately. But Zhao Yun could not go without taking her back to Liu Bei. Then she committed suicide, because she knew that she would only be an obstacle to Zhao Yun. Zhao Yun thus placed the infant inside of his chest armor and fought through the heavy encirclement of enemies. He successfully broke through the enemies’ encirclement without getting himself injured and dropping the baby. It was the battle made his name.
Zhuge Liang’s Hall
Zhuge Liang’s Hall is behind the second yard. The hall is obviously lower than Liu Bei’s. It sits on a lower ground than Liu Bei’s Hall. Visitors have to step downstairs from Liu Bei’s Hall to get into Zhuge Liang’s. It is a deliberate arrangement to reflect the different status between the emperor and the prime minister. In ancient China, emperors were considered as the son of God, they were superior, and anyone else was his subordinate.
There is a horizontal wooden board hanging on the top of the entrance gate. It is inscribed with four Chinese characters. It reads His Glory Eternally Remains all over the World.
Inside the hall, inscribed wooden boards and couplets fill up the wall. Among those inscriptions, the most famous one is called the Couplet of Psychological Attack. It reads, “ Try to persuade an enemy to stop his attack during a war, and the war will then disappear. No soldier wants to fight since ancient time. Try not to forget the real social circumstance, otherwise neither lenience nor strict policies will not work. Those who come to manage Sichuan should try to think it over.”
The couplet contains two stories. The first story goes that once Zhugel Liang served as the general commander of the Shu Kingdom, and he made a plan to attack the Wei State in northern China. He was worried that the minorities’ troops in the southwestern China highland might take the opportunity to harass his realm. So, he went to the southwestern area with his troops. Zhuge Liang wished to establish a good relationship with the minorities. Meng Huo was the top leader of the minorities, and he did not accept Zhuge Liang’s good wish. He sent his soldiers to fight against Zhuge Liang’s army. However, Zhuge Liang successfully defeated his attack and caught Meng Huo. Instead of punishing Meng Huo, Zhuge Liang released him. Then Meng Huo launched another attack, and was captured by Zhuge Liang. Zhuge Liang set him free again and agian. Totally, Menghuo was captured and released seven times. On the seventh time when Meng Huo was caught again, he prostrated in front of Zhuge Liang and pledged not to attack the Shu Han Kingdom any more. From then on, the minority people and the Shu people lived in peace.
The second story tells how Zhuge Liang made his discipline strong. The story happened during the military campaign against the Wei State. Zhuge Liang ordered Ma Su to garrison his troops at Jieting. Ma Su was one of the assistants of Zhuge Liang, who had a very close relationship with Zhuge Liang. Zhuge Liang trusted him the important job, because Jieting was a vital strategic place. However, Ma Su thought himself highly and placed his troops on the top of a hill near Jieting. As result, the Wei army occupied Jieting, the strategic place. Ma Su and his soldiers were defeated. The campaign arranged by Zhuge Liang failed due to the loss of Jieting. Ma Su was the one who Zhuge Liang trusted most. He worked hard and made major contributions to the development of the Shu Han’s army. In spite of that, Zhuge Liang had Mu Su executed for his error. It is said that tears ran down Zhuge Liang’s face when he gave the order to punish Ma Su.
Inside the hall, the figure of Zhuge Liang is placed in the middle. Zhuge Liang is dressed in a golden overcoat, holding a feather fan in one of his hands. He is accompanied by his son and his grandson. They both died in a battle for their kingdom. A bell and a drum flank the statue of Zhuge Liang. Both are made of bronze. The drum is a relic which could be dated back to the 5th century. It is said that during Zhuge Liang’s southwest military expedition, his soldiers used it as cooker in daytime and struck it as an alarm.
Zhuge Liang is considered by historians to be the most accomplished strategist in the early Three Kingdoms Period. He was born in Shandong Province in 181 and passed away on October 8th , 234. The prime minister died during his northwards military expedition.
The Tomb of Liu Bei
The Tomb of Liu Bei is called Hui Ling Tomb. Historians argued if it is the real tomb of Emperor Liu Bei. Liu Bei passed away in June 223. In fact, the corpse preservation reached a high level two thousand years ago. It was possible to transport Liu Bei’s body back to Chengdu after being embalmed.
Opening Hours:
8:00a.m.---6:00p.m.
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Three-day Panda Volunteer Program with Chengdu Highlights Tour
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Author: Tina Luo
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